


Denial is a funny thing

by Zo_ella



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: dont read if you are looking for a laugh, not a verry happy story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-24
Updated: 2014-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-14 14:11:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2194761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zo_ella/pseuds/Zo_ella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek Hale goes back to Beacon Hills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Denial is a funny thing

 

The house was exactly as he remembered. Standing tall and proud in the middle of the forest watching over it’s kingdom from the little hill it was built upon. It has become a little shattered over the years,  but lost nothing from it’s charm nonetheless.  He was always taken aback from the sight, it was something he couldn’t get used to even if he spent most of his life inside those walls.

Snappin out of it, he grabbed his travelling bag and closed his car. He stopped for a second in the movement listening for anything dangerous within earshot, but after he didn’t find anything suspicous he went to knock. Nobody answered the door-  they must have been sleeping with their earphones again. He sighed tiredly, after eight hours of driving he didn’t plan on starting with lecturing. He hoped to do that tomorrow together with the other things on his imaginary list he was collecting just for them.

„ I’m home” said Derek stepping inside, giving one last chance to escape the preaching. He kind of knew already it was pointless. He threw his bag on the couch and went upstairs heading towards a room while murmuring under his breath. They could be so reckless sometimes. „Laura, I swear to God—”

He never got to finish his sentence because as soon as he opened her door to look inside, something- or _someone_ knocked him down. „Boo” whispered Cora smugly into his ear. Her knees could always find that one spot on his back that sent a piercing through him under the pressure of her weight. She was roughly five feet tall and only around a hundred pounds- but all muscles, and she definitely knew how to use her body. „Welcome home, Der.”

„Yeah, it’s good to be home”  he muttered under his breath sarcastically, though he could hardly hide his chuckle when Laura almost fell of the bed from laughing. He liked seeing them happy, it filled his chest with so many emotions, he couldn’t even tell them apart.

********* 

They were sitting on the couch in the living room. He liked what they did to the house,  from outside it was almost unnoticable, but looking from the inside he knew they must have rebuilt some part of it- there were signs of it like the building trowels, paint brushes, rollers, half painted bed rooms with no of furniture in them. Or the new furnitures like in the living room. He had no reason to complain though, they did a good job at making the house cozy. He tried to distract himself, kept telling himself   _he could wait_ , but it wasn’t easy to do so when he could almost bite Cora’s frustration in the air which filled the room to a point where it was almost suffocating.  She was twirling her hair around her finger, a habit she did when she was nervous. He didn’t want to rush her, he could wait until she was ready, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t share some meaningful looks  with his partner in suffer. Laura  of course wasn’t so patient, she started nugging her after the first 10 minutes, but Cora didn’t bend.

„Thank you for—I didn’t know—I...” she took deep breath, and Derek took her hand encouriging her. „I wasn’t sure you’d come,  thanks Der.”

„Of course he did, he hasn’t got the nerve not to. He knows I would kick his tushy.”  reassured Laura her little sister with a wink.

„Do you want to go to the city tomorrow? It hasn’t changed much, but I need to grocery shop and you could come with me...”

„Grocery shopping? Cora Hale, you cook?” he find it hard to believe.

„You don’t have to sound so surprised, and careful with the eyebrows, they almost left your forehead. One day they won’t come back you know...”

„Don’t change the subject, since when do you cook?” he couldn’t hide his amusement.

„She doesn’t, but I’ve got to give it to her, she’s enthusiastic.” said Laura before Cora could open her mouth.

„Well someone had to...” Derek’s eyes flew automatically to Laura who tried to look as innocent as possible, and failed miserably. He missed them.

„But now she doesn’t have to! Be a good brother Der, and cook for her!” He was going to say no, but he felt a little guilty after not visiting for such a long time. He tried to remember when was the last time he came, but all it did was making his head hurt. It must have been a year or so...

„I’ll cook for you while I’m here.”  he said resigned with his destiny. Laura started singing, not caring to hide  one bit of her enthusiasm for the new chef. Cora’s nervousness faded, and she turned the tv on as she snuggled into Derek’s shoulder blade taking deep breaths. He swore as he tugged her in a warm blanket that he would never dissapear like this again. Laura took his other side after her ode came to an end, and joined her sister’s sleeping. They were pack, what was he thinking?

************ 

He didn’t know at first what woke him up, „Pshh, Derek, are you sleeping?” he didn’t open his eyes hoping she would give it up eventually. „Deereeek” she wishpered like a ghost.

„Go away” he moaned sleepily burying his face into his pillow.

„You’re not gonna run away again, are you? You know your place is here.” Laura could be so persistent sometimes.

He put the pillow on his head now, hoping to make a point. „I won’t do anything just let me sleep.”

„It wasn’t me who woke you up, but your phone you douchebag.” That got his attention. Giving up on sleeping he reached for it, risking a side glance at her „Why are you in my bed?”

„Why am I, Der?” It was seven in the morning and it was definitely too early for her games. As it turned out he got the cruelest sisters in the whole world. Cora set the alarm on his phone for him under the note _Be a good bro and let me sleep, cash on the counter,buy some Reeses peanut butter for me._

********** 

He found his way easy around the town, he remembered the roads like the back of his hand. The same thing couldn’t be said about the shops. He could’t seem more lost even if he tried. Maybe that’s why rescue came -without even asking- in a form of an all-but-smile-up-to-his-ears boy.

„Need a little help?”

He teared his eyes away from reading the package of frozen good in his hands to look up at him. „Is it that obvious?”

„Dude, you are reading the ingredients on that, and still considering buying it. I think that says it pretty much.”

Laura was cracking up besides them, and Derek put  the package back immediately.  His actions earned a small laugh from his new eating adviser too. „ I’m Stiles by the way.”

„Derek” answered with a little bow in Stiles’ direction, sending  a cutting glance at the still laughing Laura, who managed to get herself together just enought to introduce herself „ Laura Hale.”

„Derek as..?” asked Stiles suddenly curious.

„As Derek Hale?” he didn’t mean it to sound like a question, but it came out like that. And a sudden understanding rushed through his face. „Right, sorry dude, I mean, I don’t want to bring it up, I just wanted to say..I’m just sorry, and I won’t say another word, promise.”

„Okay..?” answered Derek completely confused, and when  glanced at Laura she just shrugged.

„Right, so follow my lead.” Stiles said a little off, but as he started talking about nutrition he got so fired up Derek could barely keep up with him. Thanks to his savior in the end he packs tons of bags in the car, 80% are just vegetables, and half of them he never even heard of. Figuring he might need to learn how to cook too, (since he promised he would, no other reason behind it), he asked Stiles if he could burden him with some basic lessons. So they settled on Saturday, and until then they can eat out, or eat the frost food he slipped in without Stiles’ knowing. When he was alone he never paid attention to eating, junk food is cheap, and easy to get- but he wants to feed the girls well,and  it’s a new feeling but he likes it. Not even Laura’s smirking can get to him, or when she starts singing „Derek and Stiles sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...”

************* 

„We’re home,” shouted Derek as he stepped in „thanks for coming” he said looking at Laura.

„Ha-ha verry funny,” appeared Cora from the kitchen „What did you bring? Let me help you with those.”

„Finally, I was started to think I’m the only one who is capable of carrying,” commented Derek, as he handed two to her younger sister.  He looked at Laura pointedly, but suddenly she was so amazed by the white wall, she wouldn’t tear her eyes off it for all the worlds money. „Met with a kis named Stiles,” he told Cora, attempting to continue the conversation, ignoring the smooching sounds her older sister made behind his back, and Cora seemed to do the same- which he was grateful for-and answer him instead.

„Oh the Stilinski kid? He’s nice, talks a bit like too much, but I like him,” she told him as she began to organize the fridge. It started to look like a crazy next level tetris, so he went quickly to help, and also to stuff the remain goods too.

„How do you know him?”

„More like, I know of him, his dad is the sheriff you know, you would know him too, if you hadn’t been such an antisocial lonewolf,” said Cora after squizing in the last item. „Wow I think I never seen so many food in this thing.”

„You do know it’s called a fridge, right?” said Derek mockingly, only to be followed by Laura’s sarcasm.

„Cora, meet The Fridge. Just Fridge for friends, or for lonely ice-cream eating single ladies.” The younger girl was either a good actor, or it was a Hale thing to specialize the poker face to such an extant, that it really became impossible to tell, if she actually didn’t heard a thing, or she just choosed to ignore it. Derek never felt so proud in his entire life.

„Then Fridge it is”stated Derek, giving the last stab.

 

**************

 

„Is my cooking that bad, or where does she always go?” asked Derek at the dinner table. Laura never ate with them, but on the other hand, it had been just two days since he arrived. Or maybe it’s some kind of a new crazy diet...

„Hmm? Either way, now that you mention cooking, what did you say, when are you meeting Stiles?”

„On Saturday,” he answered suspiciously, waiting where will this question lead.

„Oh my God! I won’t eat proper food until Saturday? Why, God, why?” As she talked, she even threw her hands melodramatically in the air.

„Since when did you became so religious?”

„Since you began to cook. People find God in the darkest times, Der-bear,” there was something in her voice which made him think this is more than just a joke, but when he wanted to ask, he felt a sudden knot in his throat disabling him to speak.

************ 

„Are you ready for your date?”

„It’s not a date,” he told Laura for the hundredth time. She feasted her eyes on him with amusement laying on his bad like some big cat instead of a wolf. „Don’t you have anything better to do?”

She ignored him. „Are you sure you want to wear that for your first date?”

„It’s _not_ a date.”

„Oh, don’t growl Der-bear. It doesn’t suit you... or actually it kind of does. Yeah, that  I’ll-kill-you-if-you-dare-to-say-one-more-word would definitely work on your date.”

„It’s not—” he was interrupted by Cora.

„Oh getting ready for the big date?” He kind of hated his sisters.

 „It is NOT a date.”

„Yeah, keep telling that to yourself, but choose another t-shirt. Do you only have hanley shirts?”

„Try the blue one,” assisted Laura, turning on her back now, not even bothering to act like she actually cares. He considered his options for a moment, a) he will change his shirt admitting it is a date, and that he cares, b) he won’t admit it, but will still never hear the ending of his ”date” and he will look bad in addition (on the date). He pulled off his shirt with a loud whine.

„The blue one?”  he asked his other sister’s opinion too, not making the same mistake .

„Perfect, can’t believe you only came this week, and you have a boyfriend before me,” said Cora throwing herself on the bed next to Laura.

„What happened to the date? How did he became my boyfrie— actually, I don’t even care,” he said pulling on the shirt, and shoving his wallet in his pocket. „Ice-cream in the fridge, oldmaids,” just to make sure, he even bowed his head a little in their direction.

 

****************

 

Pulling up in front of the house he wondered if this was such a good idea. He doesn’t even know his age. „Oh god tell me he’s not underaged,” he prayed while he walked to the door. He barely touched the bell, and heared a loud thump and running soonly followed by a „Coming.”

„Heyy, Derek,” said the boy, barely stopping before falling out of the door he opened it with such hurry. He had to bit his lip to hide his smile from Stiles.

„Hey, does your butt hurt?”

„How did you—” he began, then laughed when herealized his instinctive butt rubbing motions. „I’m okay, but I think I need to get rid of my swivel chair. Third time this happened.”

„That’s not so bad.”

„Only on this week.”

„Yeah, you should get rid of it.”

 

***************

 

The cooking went surprisingly easy. It didn’t take long for the various smells to fill the kitchen, and Derek’s rather sensitive nose- it smelled delicious.  Stiles made everything seem like it was a piece of cake, and Derek felt like a 5 year old baking with his, well, rather manly grandmother.

„What do you study?” asked Derek from Stiles while stirring the vegetables in a pan. They already clarified he’s an adult, so he could actually start a conversation without worrying.

„Nutrition,” after looking at Derek he continued. „I know,shocking.”

„No, actually it’s quite fitting.” That seemed to be the right answer- not like he didn’t mean it, but he liked the smile on Stiles’ face he helped put there.

„I lost my mother when I was young, and you know... my father being the sheriff didn’t help much with my fear of losing him too.I wanted to do something... but I’m not good with guns...I know it sound ridiculous, but this is something I can do. Taking care of him in my own way.”

„It doesn’t sound ridiculous,” he managed though it barely came out as a whisper. He could understand better than most people, after all Laura and Cora were all he had.

Stiles must have sensed the heavy air, and he took matters in his hands- broke it with some light chattering. „Maybe I’ll go to a cooking traning when I’m done with this.  Chef Stilinski, sounds almost as cool as sheriff. Of course I’d write it like S-h-e-f-f, so I’d take after my pops.”

„Of course.”

************* 

„You are smiling,” heard  Derek from the backseat suddenly.

„Jesus, Laura,” Derek resist the urge to put his hand over his heart. „What are you doing?”

„Besides giving you a heart attack?” answered Laura grinning.

„Yes, besides that. Were you spying on me?”

„Yes, I have nothing better to do than following you,” deadpanned Laura, as she climbed to the front to sit on the shotgun.

„Careful, your heartbeat was pretty steady.”

She shrugged her shoulders. „Well, I’m worried about you Der bear.”

Derek looked at her from the corners of his eyes, keeping an eye on the road. „You don’t have to be.”

„Sure I do. You need to talk to Cora.” It was rare to see his sister so serious.It almost made him quote the Joker from Batman- but he resisted the urge.

„Why dont _you_ speak to her?”

„Is that whinning I hear Derek Hale?” she uses her parental voice. She used that quite often after the passing of their parents. „You have to speak to her, because I told you so. And you will do it since I asked so nicely, won’t you?” He didn’t need to look at her, to know that her eyes were flashing red.

„Only because you said please,” answered Derek mockingly.

 

***************

 

„Cora, I’m home,” called his younger sister as he stood in her doorstep. He didn’t really need to announce himself, but he did it anyway to imply he wants to talk.

„Hey, how was your date?” He could hear Laura’s laughter coming from the living room- she didn’t even tried to suppress it.

„It wasn’t— I’m not here for that.” Derek told her as he stepped in, and sat on her bed.

„You started a conversation, and you sat down. Wow, this must be serious.” Commented Cora as she joined him on her bed. „Do I need to worry?”

„I don’t know. Do _I_? I thought we should talk...” He didn’t want to confess Laura made him. Especially after he saw the surprise on Cora’s face- there was no way he’s going to tell her it wasn’t his idea.

„Tomorrow is... you know that tomorrow is the anniversary... so I figured we could go together. Tomorrow.”

„Okay...?” He meant it as a question, since he had no idea what is she talking about, but she didn’t catch it. She let out a relieved sigh, and threw her arms around him, holding him in a tight embrace. If he was human it would have caused some serious bone cracking, but fortunatelly he wasn’t.

He stayed for the night in her room, ended up talking with her about little nothings until they fell asleep. As peaceful as that evening was, came the morning as disturbing.

 

***************

 

„What is this? What the fuck is this?” he never felt so angry before. It was washing over him in waves that he was in no place to stop. „What is this?!”

Cora couldn’t get the words out, just stood there with her mouth moving soundlessly in the cemetery.  „What is this?!” Derek shouted this time, and she napped out of it.

„I didn’t thought it would shake you this much— I, it has been such a long time Derek. I just thought that it would be good to come together... I didn’t—”

Derek interrupted, „My head hurts, I can’t....” he was pushing his head with his hands on his temples, like it would fall apart the minute he let go. Cora took a step towards him, reaching for him.

„Derek—”

„My head is going to explode, I can’t...I ”he turned avoiding to  look at her, and just ran. He didn’t think, it was instinct.

Pictures ran through his mind so fast he couldn’t even comprehend it. They didn’t interlock into a movie, or a motion, they were just pictures that he didn’t remember, and didn’t understand. It was confusing, and all it did was making his head hurt. Fire, Cora, fighting, Laura... But what he just saw- the „last picture” burnt into his memory. He couldn’t forget the grave even if he wanted to. And his head hurt so fucking much.

**************** 

His phone was buzzing all day. Even Stiles tried to call him, Cora must have told him- but he didn’t want to be found, nor company, there was nothing to do.

He knew that sooner or later he would have to go back, facing them, but now all he wanted to do was drive. He could still smell Laura, so he pushed the pedal furher down.

************ 

It was really late, or really early when the front door finally opened. He didn’t even step in and Cora was in his arms. She had a blanket on her back, she must have waited on her sitting on the sofa looking at the door like they didn’t have tv. He lifted his arm in attempt to hug her back, but it seemed to heavy to move, he couldn’t touch her, just let it fall back halfway. He got himself together enough to drag himself out of her warm embrace, he didn’t deserve it and headed towards his room. He could hear her calling up someone as he shut his door, probably Stiles.

He couldn’t sleep. He could barely keep his eyes open, but as soon as they closed, and thought he was finally sleepnig, he found himself staring into nothingness again. He couldn’t even tell he was up again until he felt his bed sank, and soon the familiar frangnance reached his nose.

„Hey,” her voice was barely a whisper.

„Hey,” he tried to steady his voice, but didn’t succeed. His fingers clutched around the clothe in his hand so hard, his nails sank into his palm. „Am I dreaming?”

„I was afraid you wouldn’t come back.”

„It has been a year,” that was all Derek said.

„You know, after the incident, you couldn’t sleep, for days. You were afraid that if you close your eyes, when the morning comes, and you open them, we won’t be there either. I didn’t know what to do, so when it was time to go to bed, I brought both of you to mine, tugged you in the middle so you’d be surronded by our smell, and sang.”

„I remember, it was quite horrible, would be hard to forget it,” said Derek, though it was obivous he was lying even if his teary eyes wouldn’t  betrayed him.  „And you had that stupid blankie...”

„I felt like everyting was slipping through my fingers, Cora wouldn’t speak, you didn’t sleep... But as I sang and you relaxed in my arms... it was the first time I knew we’d be fine. As long as we got each other, everything would be okay.”

„But it’s not.” said Derek fighting with the hugh knot that seemed to move into his throat. „I— I miss... I—”

„I know, Der, I know.” she opened her arms, so she could pull him on her chest giving him a better acces to listen to her heartbeat. „You need to sleep.”

„I don’t want to,” mumbled Derek into Laura, inhaling her scent.

„I know, but you need to. Come on Der bear, I’ll sing to you, just close your eyes.”

„But when I open them—” but he never got to finish his sentence, because as soon as her sister began to sing he felt relief rushing through him, his muscles relax, and even the hands that was clutching his heart, and crushing his lungs pulled back.

When the morning came and he opened his eyes, his childhood nightmare came true. He was alone. He was still clutching the blankie in his fingers so tights as if his life would depend on it, pulling in to his nose so he could smell her fragnance. It didn’t really have a scent anymore, but as the memories rushed through him, he could smell it.

He wanted to get away. It was his fault...he couldn’t stay. But when he slipped out silently of his room, it was only to find Cora sleeping next to his door, with her back against the wall. The hand came back without invitation clenching his heart like a long time no seen friend.  Her eyes popped open, red from crying, begging to him without words. His steps felt hard, as he dissapeard into the room, and when he came out, he joined her wrapping themself in the warmth of the blanket. He couldn’t leave. Cora needed her. And as he held her in his arms so hard, -it must have been painful -  and her heartbeat steaded leaving her falling asleep, he knew they were going to be fine.

*************** 

He took lessons from Stiles twice a week. He needed to take care of Cora everyway he could afterall. Nutrition was one way to do this. He still didn’t feel  like he deserved this-them, but he was doing his best to be able to say one day that he does.

He visited her grave every week, sometimes Cora or Stiles accompanied him. But mostly he would go alone just sat in front of Laura’s grave, and tell her little nothings, about his day, about Cora sometimes about Stiles and their non-dates. Just reassuring her, that –they miss her,- but they are going to be fine.

From the outside the house was exactly as they remembered. Standing proud in the middle of the forrest watching over it’s kingdom from the little hill it was built upon. It has become a little shattered over the years,burnt, but lost nothing from it’s charm nonetheless. He helped Cora fixing the house, and it kind of felt like fixing themselves.  Every hole on the wall that they patched was like a plaster on their hearts, their past. They say time heals everything. Maybe it can even heal this house.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is my first fanfiction,- just a short oneshot- I hope it wasn't so painful/bad that you wish me to hell...  
> Thanks for reading, and let me know if you liked it (:


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